Dancing Like Lovers
by Passionate Cec
Summary: Helen has always despised ballroom events. But there might be hope yet that she will change her mind. Helen/John with a little bit of Helen/James friendship.


Hi there.

I've been inspired lately and this story was the result, or rather, part of it.

It can be read as a standalone but if you'd like to you can consider this a sequel to _Passionate Librarian._ This story is set in the Victorian Era – as I always say, the best time to write a Helen/John story. As you will see if you have read _Passionate Librarian_, it set about three months after that story, so John and Helen are in a relationship and, in my mind, they haven't yet told anyone.

This is also the longest OS I have ever written! And I'm quite proud of this little baby. There is a lot of narration. Far more than I usually write but it just kept coming and coming.

I hope you like the result. I still have a lot of ideas in mind so I will be writing a lot.

As usual, Sanctuary and all its characters do not belong to me. I make no money with this story. Its sole purpose is entertainment. No copyright infringement intended.

Please, don't forget to let me know how you liked this story. Reviews always make my day. :D

Enjoy. :)

**Dancing Like Lovers**

John sensed Helen's presence before she had even entered the room. He turned to look at the entrance to the room and gasped. She was just standing by the door to the ball room, hand lightly resting on the crook of her father's elbow. And he had rarely seen her look quite so beautiful. Looking around, she spotted him. And smiled. She leaned towards Gregory, whispering a few words into his ear and walked away, towards John.

He watched her approaching, her dark blue dress catching quite a few men's attention. And indeed she was quite a sight. The dress seemed to be made out of silk and had a light sparkle to it. The color fit Helen's skin and eyes perfectly. Her blond hair was, as per usual, perfectly done, the light locks contrasting vividly with the dark fabric of her dress, only seeming to bring more light to her face. Her blue irises looked so much deeper than usual and they were possibly the most alight element in the whole room. They were sparkling with happiness though John couldn't fathom what she was so happy about; he knew her well enough to know that she despised those events. To her, they were everything in society that she fought against wrapped up in one insufferable evening of hypocrisy and men demeaning women the way that unnerved her the most.

'John.' She acknowledged grinning when she reached him.

He reached for one of her hands, bowing down and gently bringing it up to his lips and, in a perfect baise-main, brought it close enough to his mouth that he could almost touch her skin. He would have actually kissed her hand had they been in private. But here, they were not supposed to be lovers so he didn't and gently let go of it, his fingers lingering around hers, discreetly squeezing them.

John then reached for one of her elbows, knowing it would be the only kind of physical contact deemed appropriate. Gregory and Helen were here to make friends and offending anyone or doing something deemed inappropriate was not a good idea. However, he couldn't stop himself from standing close to her, probably more so than was acceptable. She didn't seem to mind in the least.

'Good God, Helen, are you trying to kill me?' An evil grin graced her features just as a blush tinted her cheeks a healthy pink. He smiled. His sweet, gorgeous Helen never liked to be the subject of compliments about her looks.

'I take it you like this dress.'

'It's not the dress I particularly like, my love.'

The endearment had been whispered prompting John to lean into her some more. As much as Helen liked having him close, she knew that they weren't supposed to show any affection. So she pulled back, offering him an apologetic smile to which he responded, knowing he had been the one who shouldn't have given in to his desire to inhale her sweet and mesmerizing perfume.

'Have you seen anyone we know, so far?' Helen asked, looking around the room.

'Not so far. The evening is still quite young, I believe many people have not arrived yet.'

'Have you convinced Nikola of coming?' One look at his face told her all she needed to know. She smiled.

'I've tried. I think he hardly even heard me. Not that it would be a big loss.'

'John!' She chastised, much like a mother would her young child. He shrugged.

'You know I don't like the man.'

'The feeling is mutual.'

As the evening progressed, more and more people filled the room and they met with more than a few that they knew or were acquainted with. They were shocked when they saw Nikola Tesla enter the room. If there was anyone who loathed these events more than Helen did, it was him. And yet there he was. Quite early on, the Five were reunited and they would have forgotten they weren't on their own if it weren't for the comings and goings of other doctors and scientists, joining them to exchange a few words before being on their way again.

Suddenly, Helen felt a hand lightly trailing down her back and she shuddered. Just as quickly as it had come it was gone. She looked to her right and into the smiling eyes of John Druitt. He extended his left hand in a universal question.

'Dr. Magnus, would you do me the honor?' His grin only widened at her glare.

'John.' She warned but apparently tonight he wasn't inclined to take a hint.

'Helen.'

'Oh lord.'

She slipped her hand into his and then understood his motivation. They might have to respect an appropriate distance, but at least they were allowed to touch and just the feel of her hand encased in his much bigger one made dancing worthwhile. He led her to the middle of the room where they were surrounded by other couples dancing and slightly hidden from the view. His hand still holding hers, he turned to face her and slipped an arm around her body, hand settling flat against her back, high enough not to raise eyebrows but low enough that she had to fight back the urge to lean fully into him, resting her head on his shoulder. _God, how she wished they could be somewhere alone where he could tighten his arms around her body, holding her as close as humanly possible, where she could slip her arms around his shoulders and kiss the skin of his neck_.

He must have shared the same feelings because his hand tightened slightly around hers and the hand on her back pressed just a tad bit harder than necessary. She responded with a squeeze of her own and the hand on his shoulder moved just slightly higher. Enough so that the tip of her fingers were barely gracing his collar. Looking up into his eyes, she saw the same intensity as the day they first kissed. Just a glance told her what she needed to know. They finished the dance and John slipped out of the room. Helen saw her father and exchanged a few words with him before he continued his discussion with the man standing next to him. It had been about five minutes since John left, she noted. Marvelous.

Discreetly following him, she left the ballroom as well, quickly arriving in an empty and quiet staircase. Two sets of stairs led down to the hall and the front door and one, in the middle, led up towards, she suspected other rooms used for other occasions. And leaning against a railing was John Druitt, a lone dark figure, contrasting against the white of the marble. It was quite dark but she immediately recognized him. Helen grinned and hurried up the stairs, turning to the left to reach him. She was about to slip into his arms but he simply reached for her hand and pulled her away from the stairs, leading her towards a curtained off area which would be much more private and where they wouldn't have to watch for curious eyes. They entered a very dark corridor. Not one candle was lit and as soon as the curtain slid back in place behind her their sole source of light disappeared. It was perfect.

John tugged at her hand and pulled her into him just as he rested his back against a wall. His arms slipped around her thin frame, holding her tight as he hid his face in her hair. He was overwhelmed with the familiar scent he loved so much and the pure relief of not having to hold back anymore almost brought tears to his eyes. Helen's arms circled his shoulders and she held on tight as she finally gave in to the desire to rest her head against his shoulder, her lips dropping feather light kisses against the skin of his neck, her eyes closed tight.

It felt so incredibly good to be held by this arm. So good that she thought she would suffocate if she ever were to leave them again. Breathing in deeply, the racing in her heart slowed. How was it possible to love one person so much? How could it be that the mere thought of not being in his arms anymore sent her heart racing in panic? She didn't dwell on that. One of his hands moved up her back to the back of her neck. She didn't care if her carefully done hair didn't look as perfect anymore as long as he kept on holding her as tightly, as if she were his lifeline, the way he was hers.

They didn't know how long they remained there, holding onto each other as if their lives depended on it. John pulled away slightly, his hands cupping her face and brought her lips to his. The instant their lips touched they both sighed at the intense feelings that immediately overcame them. Helen grinned when John started nibbling at her lower lip before his tongue traced it. Gently he pushed past her lips, grinning himself when her tongue started to battle with his own, fighting for power. Their tongues dueled and danced with each other in a much repeated choreography that never failed to leave them breathless.

John really had taught her well and she was now just as passionate in their kisses and caresses as she was in her conviction that women should have the same rights as men. He thrived on the way she now responded to his touches and kisses as well as the way she made him feel any time they were alone together. Though at first she had been slightly shy and hesitant in her displays of affection and he had been the one to initiate most of the touches it hadn't taken her long to learn and become much more confident and every touch was met by an answer equally as passionate. She was still eager to discover anything new and, more than once, John had laughed at her enthusiasm, finding it unbelievably endearing. In matters of love, Helen was nothing but a child in every aspect of the word. She was still young and innocent, knowing little and having still much to learn and displaying a passion in those lessons that made him desire her more with every passing minute.

John had never seen a woman quite as beautiful, as mesmerizing as Helen. He was truly convinced there was nothing he wouldn't do for her and if given the choice he would gladly spend every second of his life with her, holding her, kissing her, making love to her. They had not quite reached that stage yet but he had no doubt they would soon and he would then show Helen how much he truly loved and venerated her. He would make her feel like she had never felt before. He would worship her body for as long as she would let him and he dared hope that it would be for nothing short of an eternity.

He let his hands slowly trail down her body. She let out a gasp as they lingered over her silk and corset covered breasts. They moved down to settle on her waist, again circling her body to hold her close as his mouth separated from hers to leave a hot trail of kisses along the side of her face and down to her neck. His tongue darted out to taste her pulse point, and his lips remained there, feeling every beat of her heart through the blood flowing in her veins. He licked that spot a few times, feeling her shudder in his arms every time. _Oh how wonderful making love to her would be._

John then moved back up to that spot he knew left her weak in the knees. He tightened his hold on her before nibbling slightly at skin just beneath her earlobe. He heard her gasp and moan in approval, her arms tightening around his neck as a hand slid into his hair, holding his face against her neck. Not that he would have stopped kissing her. He continued the sweet torture on the sensitive skin, remaining careful not to leave a mark that would betray her.

_Oh how sweet she was._ The taste of her skin was sinful, the look in her eyes when they were lost in their embraces burning with a passion that always astounded him. How this young, beautiful woman could flourish and make the blood boil in his veins, the desire burn in his heart, was a thing of wonder that he would never tire of witnessing. To know that he was the one to make her feel that way was all the more magical and enthralling. He hoped she knew how fast his heart beat whenever she was in his arms. And despite that she was so soothing for him, she calmed him whenever the storm got too powerful, threatening to overtake him. She was his anchor, the one person in the world who could make him feel like everything was alright.

His lips left the spot on her neck to move back up and kiss her soft lips. He didn't deepen the kisses, just pressing their lips together several times before he resumed his initial position, face buried in her hair, holding her as close to his body as possible. He knew they had probably stretched the time they could spend alone, hidden in a dark corridor, as much as they possibly could and that someone had to be wondering where they were by now. He just hoped no one had noticed or would mention that they were both gone at the same time.

No one knew of their relationship and he liked it very much that way. He wasn't ready for the judgmental looks and raised eyebrows to ruin the bliss he felt at being with her. However, he felt much better knowing that the people who truly mattered would be the ones to judge the least. Nigel, James and Nikola wouldn't mind as their views of society were similar to his and Helen's. He was still worried about her father, though. He had briefly met him several times and quite appreciated the man. He truly believed Gregory appreciated him too. But so far, he had only been introduced as a friend of Helen's. The transition to lover wouldn't be as smooth.

'We have to go back.' John mumbled into her hair.

Helen's arms tightening around his neck and shoulders mirrored his feelings. The last thing John wanted was to let go of her and go back in the ballroom with people he despised, pretending to appreciate them. Holding his sweet Helen in his arms was so much more enticing. He felt her reluctantly pull away and, despite the darkness surrounding them, she looked him straight in the eye, a hand sliding up to cup his cheek. He turned his face into it and dropped a soft kiss in the palm of her hand. Leaning forward, he pressed one last lingering kiss to her lips. She still tasted like wine. They had both drank the same, but somehow, tasting it from her lips made it so much more delicious.

'I will see you tomorrow, my beautiful Helen.' He murmured against her lips before he slipped away.

He knew that they would see each other again that night, but they both knew they would have to pretend to be only friends whereas they would certainly find a few private moments the following day. They always did and more than once John had wondered whether the other men suspected something was going on between Helen and him. They often found themselves alone, in the lab, in the library or in the reading room and he thought Nigel, James and Nikola might be giving them space on purpose. Though he doubted they would have kept quiet had they had doubts. Nikola was far too much of an ass to respect their privacy. James was the most likely to know something. His trained investigator eye never seemed to miss a thing. But he would have, at least, asked John in private so as not to embarrass Helen. Nigel would have wondered silently, watching them out of the corner of his eye and memorizing the least hint that could corroborate his theory until he was certain of its accuracy.

As he slowly walked down the stairs in the hall, he grinned. He truly wished he could show his love for Helen to the world, but the secrecy had a certain appeal. The prospect of being caught in a compromising position and the resulting consequences it would create made their situation quite dangerous and all the more exciting. Still, he knew that, should they be caught, it wasn't for him that the consequences would be the most drastic. So they didn't play with fire and only showed their affection and love in private places they were sure not to be found or where they would hear if someone approached. If anyone had told him he would love a woman enough to reenact a modern day _Romeo & Juliet_, he would have laughed at their faces. And yet here he was, in love with Helen Magnus, pretending not to be, kissing her around hidden corners every chance he got. It sounded slightly ridiculous, but except for actually making their relationship official, possibly even marrying her, he wouldn't change it for the world.

John chuckled and shook his head one last time before preparing himself for the rest of the evening. Once he was ready, he entered the ballroom again. The contrast between the silent and calm corridor and hallway he had just left and the loud and bustling room was quite taking and he almost turned around to go back into the arms of his lover. But he didn't and soon found James, starting a conversation with him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Helen enter the room as well. He almost laughed at the look on her face. He could tell she was entertaining the same thoughts as he had when he entered the room mere minutes earlier. Their eyes briefly met and she offered him a small smile before she turned and joined her father. He watched her for a few instants, hoping she would join them. When she remained on the other side of the room, talking with the two men standing by Gregory's side, he focused his whole attention on James again, not missing the knowing look on his friend's face. He internally winced, knowing he would be in for a talk.

He almost jumped when Helen arrived from behind him. Since turning his attention back to his friend a while earlier, he hadn't really thought about her joining their conversation and was quite surprised to see her. As per usual, she offered him a smile which, to an untrained eye, was nothing more than an innocent, friendly smile but which he knew had a much deeper meaning. He smiled back, barely managing to keep his hand from settling on the small of her back.

'Helen, dear, I haven't had a chance to tell you how astounding you look tonight.' James complimented with a smile.

Helen grinned, blushing slightly. John glared at James. Either Watson really had no clue as to his feelings about Helen – which given the look he had received a short while earlier would be extremely surprising – or he was purposefully playing with him to see in his reaction. In which case John had played right into his game. And he realized he had when James shot him yet another knowing look, coupled with an evil grin.

'Thank you, James. You and John look quite handsome yourselves.' She commented, surprise showing on her face when, much like John had done before they little escapade, James extended his hand to her.

'Would you join me for a dance, dear?' Watson seemed purposefully oblivious to the glare he received from John, offering Helen his most charming smile.

'James, you know-'

'Now, Helen, you danced with John, you wouldn't want me to think you are playing favorites, would you?'

Helen didn't dare look at John but offered James a smile. He was, after all, her friend, how could she refuse him a dance? She slipped her hand into his and was, once more, led to the dance floor. She smiled when she realized how different from John's his hold on her was. This was little more than a dance between friends whereas with John it had been much more, despite their pretending otherwise. They danced in silence for a little while, perfectly following the rhythm of the song being played. James leaned in a tad bit, just enough for him to be able to whisper to her so that no one but her could hear his words.

'You're in love with him, aren't you?'

'Excuse me?' Helen responded.

It had been more out of shock that he had asked the question than anything else. She had suspected that he would know. He was her and John's best friend, the one who knew them the best. That combined with his being an investigator made it highly unlikely that he would remain oblivious.

'John. You're in love with him.'

This time, it hadn't been a question. He was certain of his assumption. Helen blushed deeply and looked down at her feet until she felt the reassuring squeeze against her back. She looked back up at him, smiling shyly when she saw his own smile and the fond look in his eyes. No matter how much she claimed that other people's opinion didn't matter, James had always been different and she was relieved to have his approval.

'He loves you too, you know.' At this, she couldn't hold back a wide grin.

'I do.' At first, he seemed surprised, but then a smile grazed his features.

'How long?'

'Three months.' Again, he looked surprised, probably mostly at the fact that they had been able to keep it from him for so long.

'He makes you happy, doesn't he?'

'Yes. Very much so. Our time together is very limited but what we do share is quite exceptional.'

He chuckled. The woman he had always known to be perfectly rational and grounded had fallen victim to love. The dress she was wearing was spectacular, but he suspected her happiness had much to do with the way she was glowing. No matter how much he would have liked to be the one to make her feel that way, he knew that he would never have been able to make her that happy. He had known very soon after Helen and John met that they were made for one another, despite their not having noticed so far. And seeing happiness make her this beautiful was definitely worth the slight tugging and tightening of his heart.

'I'm glad you are happy, Helen. John seems to be feeling quite the same way.' He briefly glanced over Helen's shoulder at his friend who was currently talking with Gregory.

'I'd like to think I make him as happy as he makes me.'

'Oh, don't worry about that, my dear. I've known John a long time and never before had I seen him the way he is when you are near. Even the mere mention of your name seems to light up his eyes. It's quite fascinating really.' Helen laughed and gently slapped his shoulder.

'Would you stop talking about him as if he were one of our experiments?'

He looked into her eyes, answering to her grin with one of his own. Just then, the song ended and they parted. James offered her his elbow and she rested her hand on the crook of his arm as they started walking towards John and her father. Helen offered each a smile as they reached them, her eyes softening as she looked at John. His answering smile was just as loving and at that moment, looking at her sweet face, remembering their stolen moment in the curtained off corridor, he truly wished they were allowed to show their love. Or that at least they didn't have to pretend to be no more than friends.

The four continued talking for a little while, their discussion every now and then interrupted by acquaintances of Gregory's. Despite his poor reputation and the general dislike he seemed to be the object of, Dr. Magnus seemed to have a lot of friends. Either that or people were far more hypocritical than anyone could have thought. In any case, the numerous critics and the regular dismissing he was on the receiving end of didn't affect his manners. He was undoubtedly a good talker and James and John immediately understood where Helen's passion and conviction came from. The two men had shared more than a few looks when they recognized in Gregory a trait they were quite used to seeing in Helen.

As the night wore on and people started to leave, Gregory Magnus looked at his watch, noticing the time.

'Well, I believe we'll be on our way as well. Helen, are you ready, dear?' She nodded with a smile. 'It was very nice to talk to you again, gentlemen. Like I said, you are welcome to visit us or the abnormals anytime.'

After a few more words, Helen's hand slipped around her father's elbow again and with one last secretive smile addressed to John she left, feeling confident about her relationship with the tall man. Her best friend had accepted it with arms wide open and she was hopeful that Nigel would accept it the same way. Nikola was another story. He was far too egocentric to share their joy and would most likely complain about it, trying to point out all the reasons why their relationship wouldn't work. Not that there were any she could believe in. She hoped he would at the very least refrain from commenting and let them be happy.

And then there was her father. The last hour during which he, John, James and she had talked animatedly had reassured her. He was obviously fond of John and although introducing him as her lover would be quite difficult, at least she knew it was someone he appreciated which would make his acceptance of John far easier. When they stepped into their carriage and her father commented about the evening she immediately agreed that it had been quite pleasant. And for once she truly believed it.


End file.
